Tad composed "Price of Diamonds" in June 1991. We spent months that summer fine-tuning the arrangement and mix, using all of the music gear and software available in my apartment -- a MIDI guitar, two electric guitars, a synthesizer for the bass, a programmed drum pattern fed into a sampler, and an 8-track reel-to-reel tape recorder/mixer to record it all, including Tad's lead vocal.

We returned to the recording in January 1995 for more guitar and vocal overdubs.

Another eight years would pass until Spring 2003, when I had the tools to digitize all 8 tracks simultaneously. From there the mixing entered a far more flexible phase, where I was able to edit and automate to a much finer degree than on analog tape. By late August the mix was finally complete.

Nineteen years later, we're finally sharing the song with our online community with an accompanying video that celebrates the joy producing it.


Note:
Much of the footage included here comes from other YouTube videos, all credited below:

For the Tascam 388 8-track analog tape recorder and mixer:
   • Bee Gees - Stayin Alive cover on my T...  
   • SO DOBE (Tascam 388 Recording)  
   • Tascam 388 DUB lesson from Chris Brennan  
   • Tascam 388 Basic Recording Tutorial -...  
   • TASCAM 388 Operational Demo Vid  

For the S1000 Sampler:
   • Akai S1000 - Sampling and building a ...  

For the DX7 synthesizer:
   • Madonna - Papa Don't Preach (Instrume...  

For the diamonds footage:
   • Diamonds, Gemstones, Diamond Rings Co...  
   • INTENSE DIAMOND CLARITY COMPARISON! G...  
   • Diamonds...REAL vs FAKE!  
   • What Diamonds Look Like before they a...